The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[luckylefty]

I set eggs but forgot to post. We have 7 eggs in an incubator I borrowed from the school where I work. We had lost 2 of our most beautiful chickens to coyotes prior to setting, so I am hoping some turn out to be theirs. We've got such a mix of chickens, it's hard to know whose eggs are whose! Candled them yesterday, and they all looked very healthy and happy!

 

[chickadoodles]

I have one pair of Bronze turkey that have a coop the others just have pens here. And we are talking about building a hoop house to grow some turkey out this year. But our weather is not so cold that we would have to have them in a coop. Mine are fine in covered open air pens.

 

[chickadoodles]

Beautiful turkeys =)
Quote: Thank you.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Beautiful birds.

Thank you.

 

[NotAFarm]

when your chicken goes broody what shall you do shall you bring the chicken inside and put in a nesting box or????

Pennae, Different people treat broody hens differently. I like to let mine sit where they choose and give them 3 or 4 days to see if they are serious. If they seem to be, I move them with the eggs I want them to hatch, to a separate coop that I have just for the purpose of keeping a momma and chicks apart from the flock. I move her after dark with as little light as possible. I have the nest ready and the eggs warmed (I put mine in my incubator). This is done because I don't want other hens laying in the nest, so the broody is secure and has access to special treats I may want to give her and so the newly hatched chicks are safe from my barn cats and the flock in the event they would get away from their momma. Momma and chicks stay in the broody coop until the chicks are 3 or 4 days old and then I let them out in the evening when the rest of the flock is headed to the roost. This gives momma and chicks some time to be outside without the flock. After a few days, depending on weather, I let them out at the same time as the flock. There is some scrambling about by the chicks as momma lets the flock know not to mess with them but they get back to normal quickly. I watch to make sure things are calm before I leave so this is often done on a morning when I don't have other things to do. My three rescued barn cats know to leave the adult chickens alone, including the broody hens that aren't afraid to take them on to protect their chicks.

 

[chicken pickin]

what type of chicken are they

Im not sure who you were asking from that specific post since there were a few different bird pictures quoted.

But the white ones with black spots and head crests are Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben.

 

[bantambury]

@Pennae I bought a small run at TSC last may for my first broody hatch. since then ive used it twice and I love it! what I would do, is I would let the broody sit until day 20 in her coop, and I would block off the entrance and make the other birds in the flock sleep outside. (I know that's not smart but they made it...LOL) then the next morning I move any chicks or eggs and my broody into a cat box. I put the broody run in the run of my coop, and put the cat box in there. so its pretty much the broody playpen method, and it helps the other members of the flock to het to know the chicks. after about three weeks I open the broody run up and all the chicks and mom are included in the coop!


ive done this for 2 broods and it worked well. my other coop is set up a bit different and wouldn't allow this to work, so im interested to see what I would do with a broody from that coop...which I have one now.

I went to a yard sale last year and found this awesome dome cat litter box for $3!! I haven't used it yet, but I thought it would be perfect for a broody and her privacy! theres a little wrap around walkway on it and it ends with a dip, which is where the broody would be. theres ventilation too!

mine is in grey.

hope this helps!

 

[NotAFarm]

Love all the chicken pics and wow sheep!

Love those Bourbon Reds!

Here are my girls

What a striking group!!

So Beautiful, Ron!!

 

[Aprildeesunshin]

skipped a few pages.  I wanted to post that I tried the steaming method for cooking / peeling eggs and was quite impressed. 


My steamer is too old though and did not make it through the second set of eggs.  Any recommendations for a new steamer.  Should I stick with a steamer unit or get the pans to use on top of the stove.  I kind of like the steamer units as now they come with digital options and delay features.  I have to wonder if I can add water while they cook though.

Yes, impressed, is definitely a great word for it! Did up 7 eggs yesterday and peeled 3 right away to eat. The rest are still cooled and will wait to peel them as needed. I don't have any advice on steemers, only that steaming fresh eggs works better for me.

 

[gevshiba]

SoManyHats, I'm sorry about your dog killing your hen. As some on here might know, I'm very passionate about dogs. So I'm posting my opinion here. It isn't directed at you. It's just some info about dogs and my opinion.

Dogs are predators. Some more than others. I know that all 5 of my dogs would kill a chicken. I try very hard to never give them a chance. That's my responsibility. I can try to train my dogs to leave the chickens alone. Some dogs can be trained, some can't. That doesn't make it a bad dog. All my dogs are hunting dogs, even if that's not in their breed standard (I have 2 Bostons -non sporting group). All my dogs have high prey drive. I don't mind that, but it makes it doubly important to keep my birds away from my dogs, and I brood in the house. Accidents happen. The best you can do is take responsibility and learn from those mistakes. Don't blame the dog. He's doing what nature tells him to do. There's a popular saying in dog agility that drives me absolutely crazy. I hate this saying, but it's "train, don't complain". I'd rather it be train your dog, but remember, they are a dog.